Glove fitting device



April 16, 1935. I J uss 1,997,920

GLOVE FITTING DEVICE Filed 'Feb. 12, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l fizz d g i.

I z ,Zizve izi'ai' U April 16, 1935.

GLOVE FITTING DEVICE Filed Feb. 12, 1932 E. J. BLISS 1,997,920

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dthriigy Patented Apr. 16, 1935 UNITED" STATES PATENTOFFICE Elmer J. to Regal Shoe Company, Whitman, Mass, a corporation ofMassachusetts I Application February 12, 1932, Serial No. 592,530

8 Claims.

This invention relates to glove fitting and is intended to provide asimple and reliable device or apparatus for the purpose of convenientlyand quickly obtaining the proper size reading through the measurement oroalipering of both handsof a customer whois to be fitted with gloves.

Gloves are graded in size according to the girth in inches aroundthepalm of the hand, excluding of course the thumb, and it is the commonpractice to measure the circumference of the palm. with a measuringtape, preferably with the palm pressed fiat against a table or counter.However, gloves of the same size measurement or palm girth are also madetoVa-ccommodate hands in which the distanceyfrom the tip of the middlefinger to the base of the finger variesin individual cases. Accordingly,gloves of any particular size are graded into three different lengthclassifications denominated regular, cadet and short, the regular lengthincreasingbya definiteincrement for. each increase in girth measurement,while the other two length designations are correspondingly shorter ineach case by definite dimensions.

It is to meet this condition that I have devised the apparatus for glovefitting hereinafter described. p

In its general features it comprises side gauges relatively movable tocaliper the width of an interposed hand and an associated length caliperfor measuring and indicating the particular length-size of gloveappropriate to the particular 7 length of the middle finger in propercorrelation with the width-size of the glove.

and other features of the invention will be particularly described inthe following specification and will be defined in the claims heretoannexed. 1

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a simple and convenientarrangement of apparatus embodying the principles of this invention, inwhich I Fig. 1 is a plan view of :the device showing a 1 hand. inprocess of being measured for the purpose of indicating the properselection' o-f glove therefor. r 1

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device. f Fig. 3 is an enlargeddetail View showing the length indicating means.

' Fig; 4 is a cross sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 5 is abottom'plan view showing the means for supporting and retracting thecalipering members. I

depending flange! with front and rear supporting legs 3 to raise itsomewhat above the table or counter to give proper clearance for themoving parts beneath and also to allow each thumb to pass underneath thetable,- so as to be out of the way of the gauges which caliper the widthof the palms.

I will first describe the means by which any particular width 'orggirthof hand is measured to give a reading indicative of the proper length ofglove in that size, first explaining that the .device is a duplexone formeasuring both the right and the left hand ofthe customer. The

mechanism in both cases is the same but with the reverse disposal of theright and left parts end is continued through an appropriate slot in thetable 1 to connect with a carriage comprising two perforated lugs 5slidably mounted on track members or-rods 4, that are supported on theunderside of the table in parallelism with the plane of the tableto'permit the length blade to slide forward and back, in order to bringthe forward end of thelength measuring member snugly against the spacebetween the second and the third finger,-assuming of course that thesecond or so-called middle finger is the longest finger of the hand. Aretr-actile spring 9 secured at its rear end to the carriage or slide 5and at its forward end to an anchoring member fixed on the bottom of thetable I serves to automatically advance the finger measuring blade tothe fork or bottom of the space between the fingers that embrace theblade, although of course this can be moved to gauging position by thesalesman taking the measurement. I

Ate. predetermined distance. from the front. end of the gauging orcal-iperingblade arelaid out three spaced marks lettered R, C and S toindicate the regular, the cadet,- and the short measurements of glovesof any designated size. Ad- 'justably secured to onelside of the bladeis a scalemember 1 bearing glove size indications from I to 16,inclusive. This scale'm'ember is in the form of a block having onelateral face against the adjacent side face of the blade to which it isattacheda top face displaying the ell) scale and a front face forgauging against the tip end of the finger. When made of metal it willpreferably be made of hollow form. The marks indicated by numerals l, 8,9 and H] on this scale, when in registry with the blade mark R, willindicate what is known as the regular length of finger for theparticular size of glove indicated. If the width-size reading indicatesa number 8 glove and the second finger has the length measurementcorresponding to the socalled regular length, then when the scale memberis brought into contact with the tip of the middle finger the readingindication would be 8-H, assuming of course that the blade is in con-.tact with the fork between the base of the second and third fingers, butif the number 8 hand has a finger length shorter than normal, then thenumber 8 mark on thescale member will register either with the mark onthe blade or the S mark on the blade.

I will now describe the means for giving the size number of the handbeing measured. For calipering each hand there is provided an outsidegauge member l2 of L-shaped form and an inside gauge member l5 ofsimilar form. The gauge member I2 is connected with an underheath slideor carriage I l by which it is movably supported and the carriage I Ihas perforated lugs fitting over a transverse slide rod secured beneaththe table in parallelism with the plane of the'table so as to permit theoutside gauge [2 to move in or out to gauge against the outside of thehand. The carriage H has an inward elongated extension provided -with arearwardly projecting hook-shaped pointer l3, which is arranged totravel across the coacting gauge member l5, which is provided atintervals with scale marks designated by numerals I, 8, 9 and in toindicate the width measurement of a hand of corresponding girth aroundthe palm. This cooperating scale bearing gauge member I5 is similarlysupported by a slidable carriage l4. Preferably the two carriages II andI4 are drawn toward each other by a retractile spring 18, so that theygauge against the opposite sides of the hand with a uniformpredetermined tension or pressure. Preferably that portion of the table,which supports the hand being measured, is provided with a thin coveringE6 of felt or other fabric.

In practice, the customer places each hand on the table as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 1 and the gauges l2 and are drawn with a lightpressure against opposite sides of the hand and, since the pointer 13 isconnected with one gauge, in this case the outside gauge, and the scaleis carried on the related gauge and, since each gauge is free to moveindependently of the other, there is provided an automatic caliper forcalipering the width of the hand according to established sizedesignations usedin glove making, so that a correct reading of the sizenumber of the glove is instantly given by the pointer on the scale. Theblade 6 is moved forward preferably by its positioning spring 9 untilits forward end rests against the section of skin connecting the basesof the second and third fingers. The salesman then moves the scale blockalong the blade into contact with the tip of the second finger. Thisscale block is preferably frictionally'held in place by means ofthe'slight bowed sheet spring 8, which is kept under frictional tensionby the attaching screw 8 and engages the opposite side of the blade 6 tothat on which the gauge member 1 is mounted. If the hand calipering andindieating reading indicates a number 8 hand, then unless the hand isquite abnormal the mark designated 8 on the scale member I will moveapproximately into registry with one of the three length designatingmarks R, C, S. The reading given in Fig. 1 of a hand being measured andalso the corresponding reading in Fig. 3 indicates that a number 8 gloveof regular length is the proper glove to select for fitting the handgiving such size readings.

Care should be taken to see that the length calipering blade is incontact with the apex of the connective web joining the bases of thesecond and third fingers and the use of a light actuating spring forthis blade tends to insure such contact. The end of this blade,therefore, forms one member of the caliper, while the adjustable gaugingblock 1 forms the other member of this caliper when the latter is movedagainst the tip of the second finger.

It will therefore be seen that each hand can be separately andaccurately measured not merely to indicate the size number of the glove,but also the length grading of the glove appropriate to fit a. hand thatgives the corresponding reading in glove size measurements.

It will also be seen that while provision is made for ascertaining theindividual measurements of each hand, the machine is constructed for thesimultaneous measurement of both hands. This is advantageous because ofthe fact that there is very frequently variation in the sizemeasurementsof the two hands of the same person and this fact beingdisclosed by thesimul taneous measurement readings of the respective hands at onceinforms the salesman of the fact that a glove size should be selectedappropriate to the larger of the two hands.

What I claim is:

1. A glove fitting: device embracing a pair of opposed width-gaugingmembers, one movable toward the other provided with indicating means forgiving glove sizereadings according to the Width of an interposed hand,and a movable finger length-gage slidably mounted to permit movement atsubstantially right angles to the movement of the first mentionedgauging members and provided with length-indicating symbols to give incorrelation with the width-size measurement the proper glove measurementreading appropriate to the hand being measured.

2. In a glove fitting device the combination with a pair of relativelymovable finger lengthmeasuring gauges embracing a blade insertablebetween the fingers longitudinally thereof to contact with the fork ofsaid fingers and provided with marks indicating standard lengthvariations, a coordinated gauge member movable longitudinally of theblade, said gauge member being provided with a, width-indicating scalecorrelated with said length-indicating marks to give glove measurementscorresponding to the hand being measured.

3. In a device of the class described the combination of a handsupporting platform, a blade member insertable lengthwise between thefingers of a hand positioned thereon and movable longitudinally thereof,a finger-length calipering gauge member slidably mounted on said bladeand provided with a glove size scale whose individual marks are arrangedto register with length-size symbols provided on said blade inaccordance with the proportionate length of the finger being calipered.

4. A glove fitting machine embracing in its construction a, handsupporting platform, opposed independently movable side gauges forcalipering the width of the hand, said side gauges being provided,respectively, with a size indicat ing pointer, and a glove size scale incoordinated relation, finger calipering means slidably mounted to havecalipering movement at right angles to the width gauges and comprisingtwo relatively movable gauge members, one of which forms contact withthe hand at the base of the finger being calipered, the other beingshiftable along said first-mentioned member into contact with the tip ofsaid finger, one calipering member being provided with a glove sizescale and the other with a finger length scale adapted to register onewith the other to indicate both the 'vided, respectively, with a fingerlength scale and with a glove-size scale coordinated to giverespectively, finger lengths and glove-size measurements of the handbeing measured.

6. A glove fitting device embracing in its construction a support forthe hand, a longitudinally movable finger length calipering bladeinsertable between the fingers of the hand on said support, means formoving said gauge to the limit of inward movement between the fingers, afinger tip gauge slidably mounted at the outer end of said blade andprovided with scale marks corresponding to glove width-size indiciacorrelated with marks on the blade indicating standard length variationsto give a complete glove measurement reading corresponding to the widthand finger length of said'hand, and side calipering gauges coordinatedto measure and indicate the glove size of an interposed hand accordingto its width.

7. In a glove fitting machine the combination with a support for thehand being measured, of a blade insertable between the fingers of saidhand and normally moved into contact with the joint between the fingerswhich it separates, a finger tip gauge slidably mounted at the outer endof said blade and provided with a length indicating scale for giving thelength reading proportionate to the size of the hand in coordinationwith marks on the blade indicating standard length variations, laterallymovable side gauging members, a spring for drawing said side gaugingmembers into contact with opposite sides of the hand being measured,said side gauges being provided with a glove size scale and indicator toindicate the glove size number according to the width of the hand.

8. A glove fitting machine embracing in its construction a raisedplatform provided with laterally disposed fiat areas to form supportingsurfaces for the palms and the fingers of both hands, a pair of endwisemovable positioning blades adapted to lie between the middle fingers ofthe respective hands, a length-measuring scale and indicator coordinatedwith each suchblade to indicate the finger length in coordination withstandard length marks provided on said blade, and. means'forindividually calipering the width of each palm when the hands arepositioned for taking the length-measurements.

ELMER J. Buss.

